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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bass · pitcher · safe · wound · pitch · wave · lean

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spell — letters
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — magic
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com